


occupational hazards

by Kazura



Category: Show By Rock!! - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Vague relationship, mentions of cuts and blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23434927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazura/pseuds/Kazura
Summary: Orion continues to need a lot of care.
Relationships: Orion/Titan (Show By Rock!!)
Kudos: 15





	occupational hazards

Orion, Titan discovers, sometimes has certain rituals when he takes the initiative to request a particular kind of tea from Jii for a day.

He is wary of Darjeeling days for precisely that reason. Darjeeling days are also--or almost often at least--classical music days. They're not inherently bad, of course. Titan grew up on classical music. The walls of their mansion back in his hometown would vibrate at the symphonies blasting from his mother’s study, and he continues to draw inspiration from it. But Darjeeling days do not bring nostalgia with them. They bring reminders.

Orion would almost always finish his tea early. He would almost always decide to pick up his violin and rest it on his shoulder well before the others are finished with their tea and biscuits. He would walk a few paces away, would face the window if there’s any. And he would play.

If one were to ask Titan, he would characterize Orion’s music as soulful. Sheer emotion would shake the hearts of his listeners, and it’s not rare for Titan to catch a glimpse of someone wiping the corner of their eye during his performances back when they were still at the academy.

Strong. Intense. Passionate. Pieces that allow much room for such emotions have always been in his repertoire.

But there’s something else. Something that Orion rarely allows anyone else outside of their little band to hear a note of.

He has a secret love for the most technical of pieces. On Darjeeling days, he would work on bits and pieces of his technique for a piece that is very much not that of Titan's. Double harmonics. Left hand pizzicati while simultaneously playing a melody with his bow. He would repeat them, over and over and over. It’s rough and dry and boring for an audience, but Titan can’t help watching him in the corner of his eye all the same.

“I wonder if he’ll ever let us hear the whole thing,” Selen says once, going eenie meenie miney moe on the biscuits that Orion brought for the day. “Or if he’ll just wait until his fingers bleed before moving on to another piece.”

“Sei,” Argon says, his voice lacking the usual volume. He’s seated right next to Selen, his cup hardly touched. He’d probably gulp it all down in one go later. “Orion’s not that careless.”

Selen wags a finger at him. “It happened once,” he says, and Titan snaps his attention towards him. “I can’t remember the piece he was playing, but it was during a party that his parents threw. You were in Waihaha,” Selen says, wiggling his fingers in Argon’s direction. “He didn’t even realize they were bleeding while he played.”

Selen smiles wryly, shifting his gaze towards Orion’s figure again. “He just thought it was weirdly sticky. Can you believe him? Uncle and Auntie were horrified. Fussed over his fingers until he finally huffed and called for his butler.” Selen shakes his head. “He’s been more careful since then, but who knows?”

Argon whistles, and the plucking of the violin stops. “Sei! Sounds intense.”

“Argon!” Orion says sharply, and Argon acknowledges his call with a grin. Pointing his bow at him, Orion says, “What is my rule about whistling?”

“To never do any in the studio,” Argon says dutifully, a hand over his heart.

“Correct!” Bringing down his arms, Orion sighs. “My momentum is lost. I do hope you’re happy.”

“What momentum?” Selen drawls, only to be drowned out by Argon’s loud, “Sei!”

“I’m always happy when you’re playing, Orion!” Argon says, beaming.

“Oh?” Orion says, raising an eyebrow. Getting his violin into position once more, he starts playing an all too familiar piece.

“No!” Selen shrieks, before lightly tapping Argon’s arm with the back of his hand. “He is _not_ happy with Canon in D. No one is. God, anything but that. Look, even Titan's disgusted.”

Titan blinks. Does he look like he is? He’s not sure. But the mischievous smile on Orion’s lips confirms as much.

“I didn’t take you for a snob, Titan,” he says, walking over to them and taking the empty space beside Titan on the sofa.

At that, Titan crosses his arms. “It’s a nice piece,” he says carefully.

“A nice overplayed piece,” Selen mutters before taking a long sip of his tea. “ _Every_ commercial. Every single one.”

Orion grins, but says nothing more on the subject. “Jii,” he calls, and the butler moves from his quiet position near the wall to take Orion’s violin.

Now that Orion’s hands are empty, Titan couldn’t help his eyes from following Orion’s fingers. They’re not bleeding, are they? Surely, Jii would have said something by now.

“Ti-Titan?” As if his earlier cheeky tone was nothing but a lie, Orion’s voice sounds incredibly small and high-pitched.

It’s probably because Titan has seized his hands, turning them over and inspecting his fingers closely. Orion’s hands are clean. Soft. As expected from someone who doesn’t have to do household chores. But the tips of his fingers...yes, the ones of his left are hardened there. As expected of a violinist, he muses, as he feels the end of every finger.

No blood. Good.

With a satisfied smile, Titan lets go of Orion’s hands gently.

Orion could be famous now, in the classical music scene. He can play with both emotion and technique, and it’s something that people would undoubtedly pay to see. And Titan stole him from them. Demanded Orion to keep supporting his music even. And these days, these days remind him of that.

Titan, then, has to take care of him. Ensure that he’s taking care of himself. That he’s not pushing himself. It’s the least he can do, when Orion decided to stay by his side and play his music once again.

“Titan?” Orion says again, quieter this time. Perhaps even a touch wary.

Titan gives him a small smile. Instead of explaining himself, he says, “Your Paganini is coming along great. But don’t forget to practice our songs, too." His voice is lighthearted, which he punctuates with nonchalantly lifting his cup and taking a sip of tea.

“O-o-of course, Titan!” Orion says, his cheeks taking on a delightful shade of red. "I do love your music best after all!"

And Titan nods, satisfied, ignoring Selen’s and Argon’s respectively gaping and gleeful expressions in the seats across theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for rekindling my fire, sb69f
> 
> If you like what I write, feel free to yell about these dorks with me [here](https://twitter.com/songsofthestars). I also post about my fic releases, along with a lot of doodles, over [here](https://twitter.com/findingarcadia). For more ways to find me, [here's my Carrd](https://artwaltzed.carrd.co/).


End file.
